


A Corridor Without Wrackspurts

by lirin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Wrackspurts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-14 07:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16035881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lirin/pseuds/lirin
Summary: If nobody wanted to study with Luna, then she needn't stay out where all the Wrackspurts were buzzing about. She knew just where to find a quiet corridor with no Wrackspurts and no people...well, except for Ravenclaw's house ghost.





	A Corridor Without Wrackspurts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [isquinnabel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/isquinnabel/gifts).



"Thanks, Loony, but I'd rather study on my own," Grace said. Luna watched her hurry off through the crowd. In the Ravenclaw house meetings, the prefects kept suggesting that Ravenclaws in the same year should study together, but then not all study tips worked for all people. Grace must just be the sort of person who couldn't study when she was around other people. Or maybe she could only study when she was around certain people, because Luna was certain she'd seen Grace studying with Laura the other day.

There were too many Wrackspurts here; Grace could hardly be expected to make good decisions about studying or to think clearly about anything, really. For that matter, Luna could hardly be expected to think clearly either. She turned around and walked across the hall to the second door on the left, which led to an interior corridor that she knew would be scarcely frequented at this time of day. Hopefully, there would be no more wrackspurts than there were people.

The corridor was indeed completely empty of people, and after a careful study, Luna determined that there were no Wrackspurts present either. The perfect place to sit and study. Next time she talked to Grace about studying together, Luna would have to let her know that she had found a place that was better than the library, and then maybe Grace might be more interested. The prefects had said that studying together was one of the best ways to befriend your fellow Ravenclaws, but they'd forgotten to say how long it would take. It had been nearly a month and no progress yet, so obviously it must take longer than that. But Luna was sure that by the time year-end exams came around, she and Grace and Laura would all be studying together, and maybe they'd even have other friends in their year to study with them too. (The prefects said Ravenclaws needed to be careful about studying with students from other houses, but Luna wasn't too worried about that.)

But until then, this corridor would be just fine. Luna picked up her potions textbook and riffled through the pages. It smelled like salamander blood and ginger. Rather a strange smell, really; it needed something to sweeten it. She'd have to sniff the ingredients in their next class and see if there was something appropriate that she could spill on the book. Just a dab at the top of the spine should be enough.

A breeze tugged at Luna's hair, even though there were no windows in this corridor. She looked up. "Oh, hi!" she said to the ghostly woman who floated there. "Are you the Grey Lady? I'm Luna Lovegood. I'm in Ravenclaw house, like you. Is this your corridor?"

The ghost drifted closer. "Yes, I am called the Grey Lady, and this corridor belongs to no one in particular, but to anyone who desires to use it—though few do. Why are you here?"

"I'm studying," Luna said. "There's fewer Wrackspurts in here. I was trying to make friends to study with out in the main hall, but there were so many Wrackspurts around that it was very difficult. I thought I'd at least be able to think clearer in here, even if there isn't anyone to study with. That is—I mean—you could study with me if you want to, but I don't suppose you have any studying to do."

"What are you studying?" The Grey Lady grew lower to the ground—Luna wasn't sure whether she was kneeling or just sinking her legs below the floor—and craned her head to see Luna's textbook.

Luna held it up. "Potions. It's a fun class, but I need to make sure I keep studying. Did you know that there are ten different uses for salamander blood?"

"I only know of six," the Grey Lady said. "But I know of twelve uses for dragon's blood."

"We haven't covered dragon's blood yet," Luna said. "What's your favorite class? Mine's Charms, at least so far."

"Transfiguration," the Grey Lady said. "I should have tried to transfigure myself, at the end, but I never dared to. I had never transfigured a human before, but perhaps...perhaps I would not have died."

"Or perhaps it would simply have made things worse," Luna said. "Maybe what you did was the best thing you could have done."

"You don't know what I did," the Grey Lady said. "You don't know how I died, do you?"

Luna shook her head. "No, but I'm sure you did your best. You can tell me about it, if you like."

The Grey Lady backed away from her, whipping up a breeze that whirled around Luna as the Grey Lady hurried down the corridor.

"Wait!" Luna called. "I only meant that you could if you wanted to. I don't need you to tell me anything you don't want to." She set down her potions textbook and walked down the corridor, towards where the Grey Lady was hovering by the door. "You said you like Transfiguration. I learned how to turn a match into a needle yesterday."

"That's first year stuff," the Grey Lady said.

"Well, I am a first year student," Luna said. "It was the first transfiguration that Professor McGonagall has let us do. The first weeks of class were all lectures and taking lots of notes, so we were all excited to finally get to try it out."

"And did your match turn into a needle?" the Grey Lady asked.

"Partly. It was the right shape and had a hole in the end, but it was still wooden. But I know what I need to do differently next time! I studied the textbook more after class, and I think my arm movement wasn't quite right. Look." Luna raised her arm to shoulder height. She mimed holding a wand, since she had left her actual wand back at the other end of the corridor with her books. "In class, I moved my arm like this, and I think it wasn't swishy enough. And I was keeping my elbow too still. So I think I should move my arm more like this." She flung her arm quickly in the requisite motion, and imagined a match turning silver in front of her. "Professor McGonagall said I was pronouncing the incantation fine, so I think if I just fix the arm movement, maybe I'll be able to fully transfigure the match next time."

"You seem to enjoy your studies very much," the Grey Lady said gravely.

"Oh, yes, it's a lot of fun!"

"When I was a student at Hogwarts, I always thought that lessons and studying was such a slow way to learn. What if one could gain wisdom and knowledge without studying? From...from a charmed object, or something. Wouldn't that be preferable?"

"Oh, I don't think so," Luna said. "If you stuffed all the knowledge into your head at once, it might not all be in the proper order. Or there might be too much of it. I'm only eleven, you know. I can't fit everything in my head all at once."

"I suppose not," the Grey Lady said.

"Just think, what if I stumbled upon a Blibbering Humdinger with my thoughts all out of order? And that's even if I managed to stay away from Wrackspurts, and I don't think that's at all possible at Hogwarts. This is the first place I've found that didn't have any."

"Is it?" The Grey Lady looked around at the dark corridor. "Perhaps that's why I like it so much. You're a wise child, Luna Lovegood."

Luna blushed. "Thank you," she said. "It's only because I'm in here, you know. If you saw me in the main hall with my head all full of Wrackspurts, you wouldn't think so. You do know how to avoid Wrackspurts, don't you? So many people just hang about in clouds of them, and it makes their brains foggy. I can show you how to spot them, if you like."

"I don't think they can harm ghosts," the Grey Lady said. "But thank you. Will you be studying here again? Perhaps I shall drop by, just to say hello."

"Please do!" Luna said. "I'm sure I'll be back. You can read my textbooks over my shoulder if you like."

"I do miss books," the Grey Lady murmured. "I must go now. Farewell." With a graceful wave of her hand, she faded through the door.

Luna watched until she was completely gone, then walked back to the other end of the corridor, where she had left her things. She still hadn't gotten any studying done, but she had made a friend. Ghosts still counted as friends even if they weren't alive, didn't they? Her first friend at Hogwarts! Luna had hoped that Grace would be her first friend at Hogwarts, but she would just have to be her second friend instead.


End file.
